14 DAY TRIAL // There has been much talk about Shell's failed attempts to go looking for oil in the Arctic waters near Alaska. Still, everybody pretty much failed in summing up the whole issue as best as US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar did.
“Shell screwed up in 2012,” Ken Salazar allegedly told members of the press this past Thursday.
His statement was made shortly after the country's Interior Department released a report arguing that, given Shell's inability to safely explore for oil in these waters back in 2012, the company would not be allowed to roll out other similar endeavors until they could prove that they were ready to handle whatever problems might arise.
“The review was harshly critical of Shell management and said the company had failed to plan for the short drilling season in the Arctic and the region's extreme weather conditions. Its equipment, in particular, did not stand up to the harsh environment,” reads a Greenpeace blogpost concerning said report and Ken Salazar's statements.
“Clearly, despite its promises, Shell is not Arctic ready, and the US government should be embarrassed for granting Shell the operating permits that it did, but President Obama now has solid evidence to justify a ban,” these environmentalists go on to argue.
As reported, it was not very long ago when Shell themselves admitted that, because of their being unable to handle the difficulties of drilling for oil in the Arctic, they were to take a break from such operations and go about other business.
Despite the fact that this particular piece of news came as a pleasant surprise to greenheads worldwide, the fact remains that the company has not yet agreed to drop its plans of exploring the Arctic waters altogether.
In fact, The News Tribune reports that one spokesperson for the company recently made the following announcement:
“Alaska remains a high potential area over the long-term, and we remain committed to drilling there safely, again.”